This one is long overdue. I'm own an HVAC business that specializes in air the air quality aspect of the trade. Since I started my business, I've seen thousands of HVAC setups. I know a thing or two about HVAC system design, and I must say that by far, Atlas Heating's (of Oakland) installations are the most elegantly (and mechanically) designed heating and air conditioning systems. I've seen new companies pop up like mushrooms in the last decade. The problem is that HVAC installations are one of those things where the typical homeowner has no way to compare apples to apples. A poorly designed system may look shiny and pretty yet add tens of thousands of dollars in unnecessary operating expenses (waisted energy due to high static pressure/resistance, and frequent repairs). I've seen some of the most reputable companies in the east bay (reputable on Yelp anyway) provide amateur level installations, yet every time I pulled out a manometer and tested a system that was installed by Atlas, the result was perfect. Their prices are definitely not on the lower end of the spectrum (nor the highest), but their installations offer the best value out of all contractors in the area (excluding commercial HVAC contractors. Commercial HVAC energy codes are far more strict than residential codes). I highly recommend Atlas. read more

Had a perfect service call from Atlas. Their technician John was thorough, on time, left the site spotless and had great communication skills. He answered all my questions and talked to me about what to expect in the future. I manage a handful properties and frequently deal with service providers and this was one of my best experiences. The furnace is a monster, old "gravity" style from 1950 and Atlas has managed to keep it safely humming along. Very happy customer. read more

Recently had a heat pump dual fuel system installed at my home in Oakland and am very happy with the installation. Jason gave great recommendations for our home and provided us multiple options within our budget. He was able to respond promptly to many of my email questions. Eric and Chris came to install the heat pump and they were in and out as scheduled and seem to have done quality work as far as I can tell. Would recommend Atlas to people needing heating/cooling services. read more

I've upgraded my star rating to reflect the owner's sincere and much-appreciated efforts to remedy this issue. (See her response to my review.) Hopefully this can be a lesson to the technician going forward to treat customers, especially women, with the same respect you would like to receive. We used this company for all of our heating-system needs for almost 6 years. They've steadily gone downhill. When our furnace stopped working the other day the technician who came out, Raymond, was obnoxious and unprofessional. From the moment he walked up to my door, he came at me with a condescending, sneering attitude. He diagnosed the problem as a broken inducer motor. He told me he was too busy to check whether Atlas had one in stock, and they likely wouldn't get around to fixing it for up to a week. He quoted me a price tag of up to $792. After he abandoned me in the lurch, I called around to other local companies and found one (Honrath & Stacey) that was willing to send someone out immediately. They fixed the problem with just a little oil, for a minimum service-call fee of $155 (one-fifth the price quoted by Atlas!). read more

Commercial and residential client here - Atlas knows what they're doing and have always diagnosed the situation properly and got it fixed in a timely manner. They're the best! read more

I think they are too busy. Not responding to web form and telephone system repeatedly (5 times in a row) hangs up on me.

Atlas got in contact with me and we discussed my initial review. We discussed the situation and the reason for the poor service was explained. It was an unfortunate situation, and I cannot completely blame the company for it. I've updated my review based on my conversation with Atlas as they tried to remedy the situation. Like I said in my previous review, the initial review process was great, and the project manager was very kind and very great at answering all my questions. I would have gone with Atlas at this point but I had already gone with another company to complete the work. However, I will keep them in mind when needing maintenance and/or repair work. read more

I recommend this company highly. Had them out to give me an estimate for a new heater, since I was told by another company that my heater was a disaster and needed to be replaced at once . Gabriel, a sales agent for Atlas, come out and he reviewed / looked at my current heater. He told me that I did not need a new one and my current one was in fine working order. Atlas has three divisions, sales, service and installation. Gabriel was from the sales division but did not try to push a new heater that I did not need. He also helped me with determining the best way to get better a flow of heat by adjusting the vents. It is hard to find a great company like Atlas Heating read more

I contacted Gabriel to repair a wall unit in my condo. The unit needed to be replaced, Gabriel said he would order and let me know when the part was in. He did and we scheduled a time, the new replacement is working great. I recommend Gabriel for the professionalism timely response and quality of work. read more

I had my furnace checked by Atlas Heating. Justin, the tech guy was really great. He called before arriving, explained everything he was doing and then after the check carefully explained the repairs needed. After the parts came in, he returned to install them and helped me learn about my new thermostat. Great service call with great service! Thank you Justin and Atlas. read more

Spoke with Bob about getting a comparison quote. He could've just hung up on me, but instead he gave me a background on his research of my condo and what's feasible. He also confirmed whether or not I had received a reasonable quote from a different company and why. Had I not already decided with the different company I would have definitely gone with Atlas Heating given the knowledge, patience, and overall excellent customer service i experienced talking with Bob. read more

I'm thrilled with the service from Atlas! My furnace started making a terrible noise on the night of December 19th, and I was afraid it would die over Christmas. Another company gave me their first available appointment on December 29th. I called Atlas and they came out on the morning of December 21st. The technician Erick H. diagnosed the problem (not fatal!), applied some lubricant, and gave me an estimate for the cost of replacing the part if it failed in the future. He was great, and I will gladly call Atlas again for future needs. read more

They provided excellent service in annual service of my heating system. Very trust worthy and quality work.

This was the most exceptional service I have ever received in the 20+ years that I have owned my home. The technician/Gabriel McCreary was friendly, professional and gave me clear information about the problem with my furnace and the repair work that was needed. He was prompt and reliable and able to fix the problem (control panel) on my furnace. Gabriel restored my faith in customer service. I would highly recommend him. read more

Since we've been having such nice weather, it took awhile to realize my heater wasn't working. I have arthritis so, being cold isn't an option. I took a chance with Atlas because they were close to my home. Their response was immediate. The technician was prompt and knowledgeable. I was up and running in two days including them having to special order a part. Most importantly, their pricing was upfront and reasonable. I would definitely recommend Atlas. read more

After 33 years our heater has some issues that needed some professional evaluation and repair. Aaron came in and made some assessments based on our current issue and the wear and tear of our existing unit. He gave us a great explanation on what the pros and cons are if we repair it or do a complete replacement. Given its been 33 years we decided to go with the full replacement. We are currently schedule for October installation but Aaron also let the main office know that we don't have heat at this time, which might give us an early installation (crossing our fingers). We will update our review after our brand new heater has been installed. My heater replacement was initially scheduled for Oct 11 but they actually came thru for us and got my heater heater installed couple a days early which was on Oct 7, which is perfect. They were prompt in showing up on time and Joe did a great job in installing our heater. He spent quality time with us in explaining the how to and features of our new heater. He kept us informed on his installation progress at all time and did a great job as well is cleaning up after himself. I strongly highly recommend this company to anyone who wants to have their heater replaced or repaired...again thank you so much for memorable great service by their staff and this company. A great asset to the Bay Area community and top notch company !!!! read more

Our furnace went out at the start of predicted cold weather and the Thanksgiving Holiday. I contacted Atlas because of their reputation and longevity in the business. An appointment was scheduled within a few days and Technician Raymond Corral (#89) appeared promptly as scheduled. Raymond ran diagnostic tests which pinpointed the problem. Parts were ordered and installed. Unfortunately we had additional problems and with a quick call to the office, Raymond appeared and diagnosed the new problem. New parts were installed and the problem solved!! Raymond was professional, prompt, patient and comfortable in explaining his actions and what needed to be done. His professionalism and expertise were greatly appreciated. I also would like to mention Leila, who answered our calls and understood the problem of having no heat. Leila was extremely helpful and understanding. I have absolutely no hesitation in recommending Atlas Heating and Air Conditioning Company. The company has been around for quite some time and their service and commitment to the customer is why they have lasted. read more

Wonderful interaction with this well established local business recommended on Nextdoor. The owner called me back on a busy Monday to explain pros and cons of keeping our floor furnace unit, as well as things we could do to maintain it ourselves. She gave me safety and pricing ins and outs and a referral to someone local who does service this type of heating, as they do not. Absolutely lovely and so informative. Highly recommend and will use them if and when we go for central air!!! read more

Bob Tuck runs an incredible service. He replaced our old gas furnace with a heat pump that provided us with A/C as well as heating. He first made a very detailed evaluation of our 1940's house, with the practiced eye of a veteran who could see elements in our house and existing ducts room by room of which I was totally unaware; and gave a precise assessment of our needs. His installation was quick and thorough. I could not be happier with Atlas. read more

Oh my goodness I can't say enough GREAT things. My furnace died yesterday. ACK. I called around for quotes and availability. Two places could not come until 19th. Meanwhile it's pouring rain, wind advisory, and I have two small children. (One got the croup last night for added bonus.) Eric at ATLAS said he will be out there ASAP! He promptly arrived at 11am today, after a text reminder he would be arriving. He was professional and courteous, super helpful and kind. Fixed the unit with no appearance fee for just showing up. I will need further work done and will not hesitate to use Eric and Atlas. Update August 2019: thermostat stopped getting power after 8pm. I sent email to ATLAS expecting response next day. I tried to solve problem on line and phone with thermostat company. Same night (!!) ATLAS emailed me back! First thing in the morning 8am got a call. A technician was out by 9. WOW. problem solved. All good. can't thank the professionals and customer service at ATLAS enough. Great people!! Great at what they do. All no charge. (Technicians always put booties on over shoes and are so careful with home. So many extra bonus points for how courteous and professional they are!) read more

I'm updating my review because the owner of the company saw my review and called to apologize for our poor service. She explained that they do service houses with crawlspaces, but that recently they'd had 2 workers injure their backs, so they had to be extra careful about working in small crawlspaces. She apologized that their reps hadn't explained that our crawlspace might be an issue and offered to have someone come back and measure the space, but we'd just signed a contract with another company. read more

I have been a customer of Atlas Heating for over 20 years. I just had my AC and heater serviced by Chris Rowe. This time, the AC system needed extra attention and repairs due to exposure to the elements, wear and tear and worn out parts. Chris took the time to diagnose the problem, explained the problems, took pictures so I could see (the condenser is up in the attic) and replaced quite a few parts. I appreciated that he replaced just the parts that needed replacing rather than a whole new system. I'm sure a new system would have been much more expensive. Chris was professional, kind and pleasant to talk to. I highly recommend this company. read more

Chose Atlas based on a personal recommendation. Chris at Atlas arrived on time, diagnosed and fixed a small problem with our furnace, replaced the filter, and installed a new thermostat for us. Price was reasonable. Would definitely use Atlas again. read more

These folks are as professional as it gets. And BOY are we happy to be one of the lucky few homes in Oakland, CA to actually have air conditioning! The Atlas crew is extremely professional, friendly and efficient. I can't say enough. I don't honestly know if it's the cheapest, but this company and their service is worth every penny we spent. They work quickly, unobtrusively and the system (split duct) they installed is so quiet!! We just experienced quite a few very hot days last month (Sept 2019) and our electric bill went up about $50 (the unit cools our top floor - 1200 sq. ft.). That looks pretty darned good to us (but solar IS next on our wish list...)! We will also be able to keep our windows closed, sadly, when (not if) there is another major fire threatening our air. This system will keep our air cool AND clean. Thank you, Atlas! You've been around the longest of any HVAC company in the SF Bay Area and your experience is showing! :-) read more

A couple of days before Christmas some trees fell on the power lines and broke numerous power poles and transformers exploded. The power surge to the house tripped the outside and inside circuit breakers. Unfortunately the fuse, switch and transformer on my furnace did not survive. I contacted via yelp, a few of the suggested vendors. It being a holiday most of them could not help me for at least a week or more. Atlas was able to come within a couple of days of my initial request. The tech was straight forward and upfront about the costs and problems. As with all emergencies it was a reasonable convenience cost versus trying DIY it, especially with the the super cold weather we were having at the time. I would recommend them. read more

Atlas Heating & Air Conditioning is a well-established privately-owned HVAC service based in Oakland that did an excellent job replacing my 94-year-old home's heating system. Their service included the replacement of the furnace and the entire duct system. From the initial evaluation and bidding to the planning and ultimate installation, it was apparent that I was dealing with skilled professionals who knew what they were doing, but who also were exceptionally pleasant to deal with. What would otherwise have been a scary and disruptive process--one that I had been dreading--turned out to actually be pleasant. From the office personnel to each representative that came to the house, everyone not only knew their stuff, but they also conducted themselves in an exceptionally kind, understanding, and accommodating manner. Their work was conducted in an efficient and organized manner and their cleanup afterwards was thorough. You absolutely cannot go wrong by enlisting this top-grade HVAC company. I whole heartedly recommend them. read more

I would hire this company based solely off their ethics. They all seem like extremely nice people that wouldn't ever rip you off or over charge you. They found mine (and many others') purse and wallet and took the time to call around to figure out how to get a hold of me so they could return my stolen items. I imagine good karma is working in their favor. Hope I get the opportunity and work with them in the future. Thanks again Jason! read more

We've used Atlas a few times in the last several years and we have been very happy with their technicians and their dispatchers customer service. The last technician we had ( Erick H. Tech # 49) was super quick in diagnosing the problem and had all the parts needed to get us up and running again. They even honor Veteran discounts. Semper Fi read more

Atlas was referred to me by a neighbor and I'm glad I called! They were able to get out a few days after my initial call. The technician was extremely friendly, looked into every issue it could have been, and was able to diagnose the problem and fix it same day. No funny stuff, no games. Last company I called out tried to overcharge me because I lived in the hills and apparently also overflowed my freon. I'm so happy I went with a recommendation instead of winging it. I'll definitely use Atlas again. Reliable service is hard to find! read more

This review is only for the my proposal experience. I have not had any work performed by Atlas. I had Atlas come out to give a proposal for adding AC to my home. I asked Atlas due to the reviews I've read on Yelp and Nextdoor. The company was extremely busy and they had to call me back when I called. I booked a time to set up an appointment for an estimate two weeks out. This is understandable it's a busy time and things are crazy right now. In the two weeks while I was waiting I was able to get two other quotes for AC so I had a little experience with the proposal process at this point. I will say initially I was a big fan of this company. The estimator was extremely thorough, he built a Manual J Load of my house, where other companies only wanted to do that after we choose them. The appointment took three hours and I never felt like I was being rushed. He was able to give me the quote the same day. He showed me the break down of each part which I thought was great so I could make choices if I wanted to go with one option or another. When he left he said he would email me the quote and I felt like I would be choosing Atlas to do this work. At this point, it was a 5-star experience to me but then things took a turn. Later I got the email of the "quote" which was just a signature page of an agreement to do the work and the total price. I called and mentioned to him I would like the break down of the components so it would be easier to compare quotes and review my options. He said he could send me an email of the breakdown in an hour. The next day I still didn't get the breakdown so I called him again and left a message. He called back a few hours later and he said he would get me that breakdown in an hour, I told him end of the day is fine. Also when I was reviewing the work order I noticed it said a 5 ton AC unit. We discussed going with a 4 ton AC unit for my home due to zoning. I called him again and asked if I was misunderstanding something and he said no that was a mistake on his part and he would update the quote with the 4 ton and give me the breakdown. Another day went by and no call so I called again and got no answer. This was 12 days ago and I've had no more contact from Atlas. After such a good initial experience I was very surprised about getting ghosted. UPDATED: After I posted this review Atlas reached out to let me know my estimator had given notice and was leaving the company which most likely contributed to the ball getting dropped. While that doesn't fix what happened it's understandable that things happen. They offered to have someone go over the estimate with me to answer my questions. I have since gone with another company so I told them it wasn't needed. Since my only issue was the follow-up if I would consider Atlas again in the future. read more

Thank you for servicing our old Lennox. We are happy to keep her humming!

This company is great, from the folks that answer the phones to the furnace experts that come to your house and make it warm again after it's been so cold. They are professional, timely and smart. I will continue to use them and would recommend them. read more

I requested service for our A/C, received an appt in a couple of days. Their technician Chris, came out to assess why the unit was not producing cold air. He quickly determined the issue, explained what was required and provided a quote which was based on the amount of coolant needed. Chris was professional, knowledgeable and provided tips on how to check the filters and how to keep them clean. He arrived on time and worked efficiently. He was thorough and based on his service alone, I would have no hesitation in calling Atlas again should I need my heater or A/c serviced again. read more

Although I was warned over the phone and I was told that they might not able to.service what I needed because of the type of item i have they still came by and looked at my very very very old unit. On time and great old fashion customer services. Upfront honest and didn't steer me away because it was a potential small job. We need more business like this! read more

Thank you so much Ian for bringing your amazing knowledge of all things heater-related today. I called Atlas Thursday afternoon for my dead heater and got a window for Friday afternoon. They were flexible with me for the window as I had to get my daughter from school and they said they'd call before coming to make sure I was there. And they did. They called just as I was picking her up to let me know Ian would be there in 10-15 minutes. Perfect timing - that's how long it would take me to get home. And we both literally pulled up to my house at the same time. When does that ever happen with a service window? BTW, about 3 hours after I booked the appointment, the heater started working again. But I kept the appointment so I could get a "check-up" and perhaps change the filter etc. When Ian arrived he immediately went to work and talked me through what was happening with the heater. He did a tune-up and changed the filter and even modified a piece by removing a draft door that was glitching...he told me exactly what the piece did, why it was originally designed to be there, and why it was not necessary so I could make the decision. After the servicing, I was literally handing him the check when the heater shut off with a huge creaky noise. He had been hearing a few creaks but this was LOUD. He went back in and removed the whole motor cage (I think that's what it's called) because the other side of the cage wasn't able to be reached for oiling and it was now protesting because the other side had been. So another 20 minutes had to be spent taking the whole cage out and cleaning and oiling it to make it happy. And now it's happy. And we're happy. I 100% recommend Atlas and will be calling them again when my 24-year-old dies it's final death. read more

This review is for the excellent attention the owners of Atlas Heating gave us when our relatively new (3.5 years old) furnace stopped working during a cold snap and with a holiday looming. New parts were rush ordered and Ian installed them right away. We only had to make do with space heaters for one night. Ian even pointed out a leaky pipe in our basement that I would never have noticed! Hope the plumbers I'll call next week are half as good as Atlas! read more

Our family's furnace had a snit and lost it's ignitor last week. We are grateful to Atlas Heating for their prompt scheduling and super competent repair today. Omi is back in her warm, comfy, cozy house. Thank you, thank you Aaron and the Atlas Team ! read more

Updated: Atlas reached out to me, clarified a few things, were apologetic, and refunded my Diagnostic Fee. I appreciated that. Edited review: Pretty dissapointed. My furnace went out, called Atlas. They scheduled something a few days out. Tech comes out, was totally friendly and professional, and quickly determines the furnace comes on fine, but the blower/fan wasn't coming on - and needed the capacitor replaced. He quotes me $275 for the repair. However, I had already done a little homework - and knew I could get a brand new capacitor for about $6 online. (actually, found one for $4 on Amazon!). Plenty of YouTube tutorials show how it's done - and that it is a very simple task that requires no special tools, and takes only a few minutes. I asked him why it cost so much for a capacitor, and trying to confirm that it was a pretty simple replacement. He dodged the question, said "I don't set the rates", and didn't answer when I asked if this was a user-serviceable part. He then charged an $89 diagnostic fee (which was never discussed from their dispatch). Given that his diagnostic took less than 5 minutes, and that many places offer free/$20 service calls (and disclose this!) that also felt like gouging. Today, I replaced the capacitor. Took me literally 3 minutes. But the unit didn't fire up. Why? Turns out both the gas line and 2 different fuses had been turned off, unscrewed, or left in a half-way inserted position by the tech. Atlas says they normally disable/turn off the unit until a repair has been done. I was able to troubleshoot these things just fine, but I can imagine many homeowners wouldn't. Moral of the story? HVAC is expensive. However, there are a ton of online tutorials that address really common, simple repairs that any homeowner could do themselves. I was nervous opening up the unit, but with the help of YouTube - a $275 repair turned into a $4 one, and it literally took just a few minutes. read more

They responded quickly to my inquiry. We set up a time for them to come: 4-430pm. Nobody showed up and nobody called to explain wny. I called them around 5:15pm and they said someone would follow up with why they didn't show up so they could reschedule. Nobody called back. read more

We needed to replace two original central HVAC units (upstairs and downstairs) in our house, both 37 years old. We contacted five contractors, most of whom had very positive customer reviews. We chose Atlas because of their incredible professionalism and attention to detail in the quoting process. We were surprised that their price was also the most reasonable, once we got our short-list contractors to quote on an apples-to-apples basis. We didn't expect that given Atlas is a union shop (which suggests their installers may generally have greater experience). On top of that, there is a $250 per system customer rebate directly from the union. To provide our price estimate, Kevin came and surveyed all our vents and, in great detail, measured the available space in our furnace closet and the area supporting our outdoor compressors. He wanted to make sure he recommended units that would work best given our size house, air flow capacity, and physical installation space. While three contractors said we should put in 4 or 5 ton units by visually assessing only the size of our existing outdoor compressors and glancing at our furnaces, Kevin's analysis, like one other, showed that our existing vents could not actually support more than 3 tons. Indeed, in looking up the specs on our existing units, they were 3 tons as well. It was clear that Kevin did not want to sell us more than we could use to keep the price as low as possible for our needs. One installer didn't even want to quote until we told him what our budget would be--how should we know prior to understanding what we actually needed and what any upgrades might cost? We proactively opted for slightly more expensive multi-stage and higher SEER systems than what Kevin first recommended as we wanted to reduce noise and increase efficiency. Kevin later found that one of the coils he had priced into his Bryant system quote might not fit, so he substituted a more expensive, higher efficiency coil at no additional cost. I had plenty of questions after the visit, and Kevin was incredibly responsive by text message and phone. I also wanted to install an automatic earthquake shut-off valve on the main gas line to our house as a safety measure. Kevin recommended and coordinated a reasonably-priced third-party plumber to do that for us during Atlas' HVAC install. Prior to installation, Kevin returned along with Steve, a 35-year veteran tech from Atlas to do a pre-installation site survey. Again, they did a very detailed review for the upcoming installation and discussed nuances that they would need to take into account. The two-system Bryant install was done by Nick and Ryan. Nick has 14 years of experience. The work progressed very smoothly with demolition and removal of the old units the first day, installation of the new units the following two days, and then a couple of extra hours of testing the fourth day just to make sure the Bryant auto-learning staging algorithms were working properly. The team was very careful with all aspects of the installation. Each day, they laid out runners to avoid tracking dirt on our carpeting as they walked in and out of the house (in addition to putting on shoe covers). They pressure-tested the existing pipes out to our compressors. They added various safety devices to meet current code. They replaced the raised platform that our outdoor compressors are mounted on. They fitted the outdoor pipes with UV-resistant insulation, which should last much longer than our old ones did and upgraded the outdoor electrical boxes. They secured holes around piping that potentially could let rodents in and installed a screen for a vent inside our utility closet for the same reason. And they even painted the wooden platforms that our indoor furnaces rest on (despite the fact they are in a utility closet that no one sees). Kevin came back during the install to make sure everything was going well. Nick and Ryan kept us well-informed of progress along the way. Though we are still awaiting our final Title 24 inspection (always done by a third-party testing company), Nick did a basic check on every vent, suggested that we could keep one closed if desired (near our return vent, thermostat, and wine storage), and opened up the damper below our house for one that had apparently been closed for the last 32 years. I was amazed at the crew's attention to quality and detail, none of which cost us more--no nickel and diming. It's no wonder that Atlas gets not only get great reviews here on Yelp, but also has the highest number of recommendations in the online discussion forum for our neighborhood. In summary, Atlas provided us with a highly experienced and professional crew that pays great attention to detail...and a fair price. Given that the good-sized family owned company has been around for generations, we feel secure in knowing that they will be here to service the equipment, if and when necessary. read more